Dinosaur

<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/10/23/news/state/23-power.txt" >Governor announces multibillion dollar transmission line</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote><a href="http://governor.mt.gov/governor/govbio.asp">Gov. Brian Schweitzer</a>, joined by industry executives, announced plans Monday to build one of the longest electricity transmission lines seen in the West in 40 years _ a line that would carry "green" energy to big energy markets thousands of miles away.<br />n<br />nThe governor, who has placed coal-to-liquid fuel facilities as one of his top priorities, said he is promising to help TransCanada get environmental permits for the project that the company said could cost $2 billion.<br />n<br />nIf successful, the line would run from the coal fields of Montana to the Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix energy markets. It would carry electricity created by either wind power or synthetic gas derived from coal to meet clean energy requirements in the Southwest.</blockquote><br />n<br />nI complained about <a href="http://nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/2141-Getting-Older.html">being old</a> the other day but now I obviously a dinosaur. WHEN IN BLUE BLAZES DID MONTANA COAL BECOME "GREEN" ENERGY?<br />n<br />nDon't get me wrong, the process that gassifies the coal allows the capture of the CO2 but to call the whole thing "green" seems a little far fethced to me. Then you need to consider what to do with the CO2. It has been proposed to pipe it into underground formations but the long term storage potentials of this have never been proved, so green, I'm not to sure.<br />n<br />nJust the other day I was also discussing <a href="http://nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/2115-Confusion-Reigns.html">mercury and coal</a>. How does the gasification of coal affect the mercury potential of the coal. You know mercury causes many <a href="http://www.lenntech.com/Periodic-chart-elements/Hg-en.htm#Health%20effects%20of%20mercury">health problems</a> including disruption of the nervous system, damage to brain functions, DNA damage and chromosomal damage and many other effects. So, by burning this coal in Montana are we damaging future Montanans with the mercury? Does the mercury emissions make coal green too?<br />n<br />nNow don't get me wrong, I support tapping our coal resources and using them wisely but I don't think we need to delude ourselves by saying it's "green."<br />n<br />nI guess this dinosaur will never understand how coal can be considered "green." That's a little to big of step for me.<br />n<br />n<strong>A person's fears are lighter when the danger is at hand. Lucius Annaeus Seneca </strong>